Post by alyadmirer on May 8, 2016 20:44:39 GMT
An hour after her match Yoona laid on a sofa in the convention center lobby with a bag of ice on her head and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Now that the adrenaline of the wrestling match had worn off, she was feeling the after effects of her concussion in the form of a splitting headache.
“Yoona, I need to talk to you,” said a soft voice. It was the luchadora from earlier. She had a brace wrapped tightly around her knee, and walked with a slight limp. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. It was obvious she had been crying.
“What’s on your mind, uhh…” Yoona realized for the first time that she didn’t know what to call the young woman now that they were out of the ring.
“Camille Cosworth,” she replied, anticipating the question. Camille took a seat on an ottoman across from Yoona’s sofa.
CAMILLE COSWORTH:
“What can I do for you, Camille?” corrected Yoona as she sat up.
“I wanted to give this to you,” Camille said as she handed Yoona her pink shutter sunglasses. The left leg had been broken off at the hinge, but Camille had painstakingly put it back together with a piece of a paper clip. “It seemed to mean a lot to you, and I don’t have the money to buy fancy designer sunglasses, so I did the best I could to fix it. I’m sorry I broke it.”
Yoona blinked in confusion. “Oh Camille,” she sighed, “I bought a 12 pack of these off Amazon for five dollars. I wasn’t really upset you broke them.”
Camille turned livid and shot up to a standing position. “THEN WHY DID YOU DESTROY MY MASK?!” she shouted, attracting the attention of the entire lobby.
“It looked stupid,” Yoona said with a shrug. “It was just a cheap plastic imitation anyway.”
Camille raised her fist as if to strike Yoona, but thought better of it and grabbed a handful of her own hair instead as she let loose a frustrated groan. “ARRRGGH, it may be a stupid piece of plastic to you but to me it meant something! When I was a little girl, La Halcon was my favorite luchadora. When I was 15 I met her at a show and she autographed that replica mask for me. Ever since then I’ve always worn that mask when I wrestled. The original La Halcon retired years ago, but I kept that mask as a way of continuing her legacy and paying tribute to a childhood hero.”
Camille sighed dejectedly, “I suppose it’s not your fault you didn’t know that, but that doesn’t make it okay for you--”
“Hey, look!” Yoona interjected as she held up her phone, “Authentic autographed La Halcon lucha mask on sale for $2.89 on eBay. The same one she wore in her last match apparently. Wow, I think I could sell my nail clippings for more than $2.89. La Halcon must have been a really, really crappy wrestler.”
“That’s not the point!” shouted Camille. She seemed on the verge of tears again. “When a luchadora is unmasked in public, that’s the end for her! It’s the death of a career! I can’t believe you would be so blase about something like that!”
“I still don’t see why you can’t get a new mask,” said Yoona, “Is it because of money? Because I can spot you the $3 for the eBay auction, and you can just pay me back later in 24 easy installments of --.
“OH MY GOD HOW THICK IS YOUR SKULL?” Camille screeched.
“Thick enough to survive getting dunked headfirst into the mat,” countered Yoona.
Camille let loose a cathartic, bloodcurdling shriek of frustration. It echoed off the walls of the lobby for several seconds, and then all was quiet.
Camille sat on the ottoman and spoke again after a minute in a tone of resignation. “Maybe it’s for the best. The original La Halcon was just a lovable loser, and I wasn’t any better either. I’ve been coming to Open Fight Night for the past four years, and I can count my number of victories on one hand. I’m moving away from Maine when I finish university in a couple of months anyway, so no more Open Fight Nights for me. I should thank you I suppose, for making my last match so memorable. What was it you said? Go out with a bang?”
Camille gave a wan smile, but soon she was overcome with emotion as the finality of her words hit her. Her smile faltered, and she buried her face in her hands and wept.
Yoona stared impassively for a long time as Camille sobbed.
“You beat me tonight,” she finally said.
“Please don’t mock me anymore,” Camille replied, her head still in her hands, “You left me unconscious in a puddle of my own come, I’m pretty sure it was in fact you who beat me. I don’t need you telling me pretty little white lies out of pity.”
“You beat me tonight,” Yoona repeated, undeterred. “After you landed the hurricanrana you could have pinned me easily. I was so out of it I couldn’t find my own ass with both hands. Most wrestlers would have submitted to the leg split too, you were just unlucky that’s the one hold I’m immune to.”
“Really?” Camille asked, looking up from her hands and sounding surprised. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“No, the sex was supposed to make you feel better,” Yoona said flatly.
Camille couldn’t quite stifle a nervous laugh. She pretended to turn away and wipe her tears so that Yoona wouldn’t see her fair skin turning a deep crimson.
“You’re pretty good,” Yoona continued. “Honestly, I mean, I’m a total badass --”
Camille rolled her eyes.
“-- so anyone who can knock me for a loop, even if only for a moment, has to have some real talent. You bust out one high difficulty move after another without breaking a sweat. I can’t even attempt breakdance fighting without getting floor burns on my ass, yet you make it look so effortless. Your problem is you throw these big, flashy moves out there randomly and that makes them easy to dodge. If you ever learned to properly set up your moves, like holy shit, you’d be a monster.”
Yoona’s tone turned frustrated and upset, almost angry. “Besides, wrestling obviously means a whole lot to you. How can you just give it up after one set back? You shouldn’t ever throw away something you love. That look on your face you had when you said you were quitting, that’s the look of someone who’s dying on the inside, of someone who’s lost a part of herself, and who doesn’t --”
Yoona’s voice cracked as a lump got caught in her throat. She swallowed hard, then sniffed, once, twice, trying to regain her composure. She took a deep, ragged breath, then continued.
“-- and who doesn’t know if she’ll ever get it back. And then she spend her nights wondering where it all went wrong, and dreaming up a thousand ways to make it right even when she knows she won’t ever get the chance,” Yoona said in a quiet voice barely above a whisper. She took a deep breath through her nose, then lowered her head and stared at her feet while she dug her toes into the carpet. “Believe me, I know,” she concluded as her voice trailed off.
Camille was taken aback by Yoona’s sudden candidness. She had allowed a vulnerable side of herself to surface, and Camille felt the need to comfort her somehow, but she was at a total loss for words. Instead, she leaned forward and rested her forehead against Yoona’s as she caressed the back of the Yoona’s head and neck with her left hand.
Yoona seemed to appreciate the gesture. “I’m sorry I broke your mask, Camille,” she said after a few moments.
“I forgive you,” came Camille’s reply. “And it did look pretty stupid didn’t it?” she added after a beat.
“Almost as stupid as my sunglasses,” chuckled Yoona. “Seriously, I can’t see shit in those things.”
Both women shared a brief laugh, and then a few minutes passed by in silence. Eventually they were approached by a woman in her mid thirties. She was conservatively dressed in a business suit and skirt combo. An official FAWN ID badge was clipped to the breast pocket of her jacket.
“Excuse me, Ms. Park,” she said, “My name is Justine Adams, I am the head of the scouting team tonight. On behalf of FAWN I would like to officially offer you a developmental contract, effective immediately. Congratulations, you wrestled a hell of a match tonight.” Justine held out a dossier of paperwork to Yoona.
Without looking up, Yoona took the glossy folder embossed with the official FAWN logo. She quietly paged through the contents, quickly scanning each document. Contract. Non-compete clause. Non-disclosure agreement. Health insurance. Waiver of liability. Pretty standard stuff, all in all. Yoona shut the folder, then tossed it onto Camille’s lap.
“She’s coming with me,” Yoona stated bluntly as lifted her head to meet the talent scout’s gaze.
“Yoona! I--I--what are you doing?!” stammered Camille.
“Ms. Park!” protested the scout. “My team and I were only interested in you. We have no use for a perpetual loser like --”
“Shut up, both of you,” Yoona commanded. “There were two wrestlers in that wrestling match. I doubt that it’d be anywhere near as impressive if I were wrestling by myself. So if you guys want me, then Ms….umm....”
“Cosworth,” Camille whispered.
“Then Cosworth is coming too. Package deal -- can’t have one without the other. End of story,” concluded Yoona.
Justine scoffed derisively. “It is true that every great champion builds her throne atop a mountain of broken jobbers, and if Ms. Cosworth has any talent, it’s the ability to be spectacular in defeat. Nevertheless, we are only authorized to offer one contract --”
Yoona cut her off by snatching the badge from Justine’s jacket. Associate Director of Talent Development. “What’s the matter, Ms. Associate Director? Can’t you make an executive decision? Or is that too far above your pay grade?” Yoona sneered. She flippantly tossed the ID badge at Justine’s feet. Then she put on her pink shutter sunglasses, leaned back into the sofa, and crossed her arms defiantly.
The associate director glared at Yoona with a look that could kill. She bent down and retrieved her ID badge, then dusted it off and reattached it to her pocket. Finally she spoke, “Very well then. We can find room for both of you. The money, however, is non-negotiable. The two of you will have to split --”
“Pfffttt! Lady, please,” said Yoona. “Do I look like someone who needs money? You see these?” She pointed to her sunglasses. “These cost more money than you make in a month.”
Camille snorted loudly as she tried to unsuccessfully suppress a laugh. “S-Sorry, please continue your -- your very serious conversation,” she said, embarrassed. She continued to snigger to herself.
“Ms. Cosworth here can have the entirety of the salary,” continued Yoona. “Quite frankly, it’s barely a quantum of a fraction of a respectable wage. It’s not even enough to pay the property taxes on my private island.”
“You have a private island?” asked Justine, arching an eyebrow.
“It’s the one with the volcanoes and giant, radioactive lizards,” replied Yoona as she nonchalantly examined her manicure.
“Japan?!” Camille blurted incredulously.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” answered Yoona. She pushed back the cuticle on her ring finger. “I like to rent it out to tourists while I’m not there.”
Justine and Camille exchanged a look. Is she crazy? Justine silently mouthed. Camille could only offer a shrug of her shoulders.
Justine shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. Why did the talented ones always have to be headcases? She closed her eyes and practiced the deep breathing techniques she learned in lamaze class.
“It’s settled then,” the scout finally said, “We will draft an additional contract, and Ms. Cosworth will receive the entirety of the salary. Welcome to FAWN, ladies. What a truly fantastic couple you two are -- ”
She looked at Camille, “-- the beautiful loser, and --”
She looked at Yoona, who was now attempting to chew off a hangnail on her pinkie, “--and t-the...I -- I can’t even --. Ugh. Whatever. Welcome to FAWN,” Justine said curtly and promptly walked out of the building, glad to be rid of Yoona.
Camille was confused. “Yoona, why are you helping me? Especially after you just embarrassed me like that in the ring.”
“I killed your career as Hawkman, so in return I’m giving you a new career as Camille Cosworth. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ve got your back -- it’s the least I could do,” said Yoona. “Somewhere out there, there’s a little girl who needs a hero to look up to and she deserves better than some stupid wannabe luchadora. You deserve better than some stupid wannabe luchadora. Be the superstar you were born to be Camille. You’re the most athletic wrestler I’ve ever seen. That leap into the ring on your entrance, then that hurricanrana, I wouldn’t think those moves were possible if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. So don’t listen to those assholes who say you’re only a beautiful loser or a stepping stone for another wrestler. And if you ever think about giving up, I’ll break your leg in five places. You know I can do it too.”
Camille hugged Yoona tightly. “Thank you, Yoona. For believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. And thank you for those wonderful words of motivation. I promise won’t talk about quitting again, I quite like my legs.”
“Alright, alright. Enough sappy shit. We made it to FAWN, now let’s go celebrate and get wasted,” said Yoona with a huge grin.
EPILOGUE:
------------------------
Yoona laid in bed, curled on one side. It was 3AM, and she had been awake for hours thinking about the events of the last day. The more she thought about it, the more hypocritical she felt about lecturing Camille on the importance of perseverance and not giving up on the things you love. Her current state of inebriation and emotional lability didn’t help those pestering thoughts either. Yoona sighed heavily, she needed something to distract her. She pulled out her phone and began writing an email in Korean.
Hi Mom! Hi Dad! ^___^
I made it to Bangor, Maine! It’s a small town way in the northeast of America. I miss San Diego already! It’s cold here and I can’t find a good fish taco place or a KTV that has my favorite K-pop songs. T____T.
Good news is I won my first match here! Yay! Bad news is I have to stay in Bangor longer. -____-
My next match will be on TV though! My first time wrestling on TV, oh I’m so excited and so nervous at the same time! I wonder who it will be? Will she have boobs like ( . Y . ) or will they be more like mine ( . Y . ). Maybe I should get some implants. Cousin Ji-Hyun is a surgeon right? Haha! Just kidding!
I hope you guys will be able to watch on TV. Don’t let grandma and grandpop watch though! They might have a heart attack! And don’t let little Doo-Ri or Tae-Uk watch either! Adults only.
. Oh, and don’t let any cute guys I might want to date watch. You know why. -_________________-
Anyway, I
Yoona suddenly stiffened and stopped typing as she felt an arm wrap around her waist.
“You’re up early,” Camille stated with a yawn.
“Actually I’m up late,” corrected Yoona. “Couldn’t fall asleep.”
“Eight tequila slammers and you couldn’t sleep?” slurred Camille. “What are you doing now, you little alcoholic? Looking for liver donors?”
“Writing an email to my mom and dad,” replied Yoona, “If they don’t hear from me once a day they freak out and start thinking the worst. It’s been over four years and they still worry about me because I’m here in America alone.”
“Every day for four years?! Hah, I’d run out of stuff to say by week two,” laughed Camille as she plucked the phone from Yoona’s hands. She frowned when she realized she couldn’t read any of the email. “Only thing I can understand is smiley face, big boobs, small boobs. I’m big boobs and you’re small boobs, I presume?”
“Actually, I’m big boobs,” retorted Yoona as she snatched her phone back.
Camille scoffed.
“Hey! I’ll have you know I’m a solid D-cup!” Yoona said defensively.
Camille cackled.
“C-cup! My breast smothers are super effective!” Yoona lied.
Camille cackled harder.
“Fine! B-cup and that’s my final offer!” Yoona harrumphed indignantly.
“Alright, alright Tits McGee. B-cup it is. I’m going to sleep a bit more, wake me up when the complimentary breakfast starts.” Camille snuggled closer to Yoona and nuzzled her face into Yoona’s neck. “And tell your mom and dad big boobs said ‘Hi.’”
Yoona laid motionless for several minutes, staring at the patterns on the wallpaper. Once she was sure Camille had returned to her drunken slumber, she picked up her phone and resumed typing her email.
Anyway, I really miss you guys! It’s been so long! I promise as soon as I win the championship I’ll be on a flight back home the next day. It shouldn’t take long now that I’m officially in the federation. I’ll be home in time for Dad’s birthday next year. What a gift that’ll be, right?! ^___^ Love you Mom, Love you Dad <3 Yoona
Yoona’s thumb hovered over the Send button.
She hesitated for a second.
Then ten seconds.
Then thirty seconds.
Yoona suddenly realized her hands were clammy and her heart was beating uncomfortably fast. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, trying to match rate and rhythm against the gentle heaving of Camille’s breasts against her back. That made her feel better, more calm, more relaxed. After a minute, her heart rate had settled, and Yoona opened her eyes and looked at her phone again.
She hit the Cancel button.
Your email has been saved to your Drafts folder.
You have 1587 saved Drafts.
She turned off her phone and set it on the nightstand.
Yoona closed her eyes and focused once more on Camille’s breathing and the warmth of her body. Soon she was fast asleep.
“Yoona, I need to talk to you,” said a soft voice. It was the luchadora from earlier. She had a brace wrapped tightly around her knee, and walked with a slight limp. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. It was obvious she had been crying.
“What’s on your mind, uhh…” Yoona realized for the first time that she didn’t know what to call the young woman now that they were out of the ring.
“Camille Cosworth,” she replied, anticipating the question. Camille took a seat on an ottoman across from Yoona’s sofa.
CAMILLE COSWORTH:
“What can I do for you, Camille?” corrected Yoona as she sat up.
“I wanted to give this to you,” Camille said as she handed Yoona her pink shutter sunglasses. The left leg had been broken off at the hinge, but Camille had painstakingly put it back together with a piece of a paper clip. “It seemed to mean a lot to you, and I don’t have the money to buy fancy designer sunglasses, so I did the best I could to fix it. I’m sorry I broke it.”
Yoona blinked in confusion. “Oh Camille,” she sighed, “I bought a 12 pack of these off Amazon for five dollars. I wasn’t really upset you broke them.”
Camille turned livid and shot up to a standing position. “THEN WHY DID YOU DESTROY MY MASK?!” she shouted, attracting the attention of the entire lobby.
“It looked stupid,” Yoona said with a shrug. “It was just a cheap plastic imitation anyway.”
Camille raised her fist as if to strike Yoona, but thought better of it and grabbed a handful of her own hair instead as she let loose a frustrated groan. “ARRRGGH, it may be a stupid piece of plastic to you but to me it meant something! When I was a little girl, La Halcon was my favorite luchadora. When I was 15 I met her at a show and she autographed that replica mask for me. Ever since then I’ve always worn that mask when I wrestled. The original La Halcon retired years ago, but I kept that mask as a way of continuing her legacy and paying tribute to a childhood hero.”
Camille sighed dejectedly, “I suppose it’s not your fault you didn’t know that, but that doesn’t make it okay for you--”
“Hey, look!” Yoona interjected as she held up her phone, “Authentic autographed La Halcon lucha mask on sale for $2.89 on eBay. The same one she wore in her last match apparently. Wow, I think I could sell my nail clippings for more than $2.89. La Halcon must have been a really, really crappy wrestler.”
“That’s not the point!” shouted Camille. She seemed on the verge of tears again. “When a luchadora is unmasked in public, that’s the end for her! It’s the death of a career! I can’t believe you would be so blase about something like that!”
“I still don’t see why you can’t get a new mask,” said Yoona, “Is it because of money? Because I can spot you the $3 for the eBay auction, and you can just pay me back later in 24 easy installments of --.
“OH MY GOD HOW THICK IS YOUR SKULL?” Camille screeched.
“Thick enough to survive getting dunked headfirst into the mat,” countered Yoona.
Camille let loose a cathartic, bloodcurdling shriek of frustration. It echoed off the walls of the lobby for several seconds, and then all was quiet.
Camille sat on the ottoman and spoke again after a minute in a tone of resignation. “Maybe it’s for the best. The original La Halcon was just a lovable loser, and I wasn’t any better either. I’ve been coming to Open Fight Night for the past four years, and I can count my number of victories on one hand. I’m moving away from Maine when I finish university in a couple of months anyway, so no more Open Fight Nights for me. I should thank you I suppose, for making my last match so memorable. What was it you said? Go out with a bang?”
Camille gave a wan smile, but soon she was overcome with emotion as the finality of her words hit her. Her smile faltered, and she buried her face in her hands and wept.
Yoona stared impassively for a long time as Camille sobbed.
“You beat me tonight,” she finally said.
“Please don’t mock me anymore,” Camille replied, her head still in her hands, “You left me unconscious in a puddle of my own come, I’m pretty sure it was in fact you who beat me. I don’t need you telling me pretty little white lies out of pity.”
“You beat me tonight,” Yoona repeated, undeterred. “After you landed the hurricanrana you could have pinned me easily. I was so out of it I couldn’t find my own ass with both hands. Most wrestlers would have submitted to the leg split too, you were just unlucky that’s the one hold I’m immune to.”
“Really?” Camille asked, looking up from her hands and sounding surprised. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“No, the sex was supposed to make you feel better,” Yoona said flatly.
Camille couldn’t quite stifle a nervous laugh. She pretended to turn away and wipe her tears so that Yoona wouldn’t see her fair skin turning a deep crimson.
“You’re pretty good,” Yoona continued. “Honestly, I mean, I’m a total badass --”
Camille rolled her eyes.
“-- so anyone who can knock me for a loop, even if only for a moment, has to have some real talent. You bust out one high difficulty move after another without breaking a sweat. I can’t even attempt breakdance fighting without getting floor burns on my ass, yet you make it look so effortless. Your problem is you throw these big, flashy moves out there randomly and that makes them easy to dodge. If you ever learned to properly set up your moves, like holy shit, you’d be a monster.”
Yoona’s tone turned frustrated and upset, almost angry. “Besides, wrestling obviously means a whole lot to you. How can you just give it up after one set back? You shouldn’t ever throw away something you love. That look on your face you had when you said you were quitting, that’s the look of someone who’s dying on the inside, of someone who’s lost a part of herself, and who doesn’t --”
Yoona’s voice cracked as a lump got caught in her throat. She swallowed hard, then sniffed, once, twice, trying to regain her composure. She took a deep, ragged breath, then continued.
“-- and who doesn’t know if she’ll ever get it back. And then she spend her nights wondering where it all went wrong, and dreaming up a thousand ways to make it right even when she knows she won’t ever get the chance,” Yoona said in a quiet voice barely above a whisper. She took a deep breath through her nose, then lowered her head and stared at her feet while she dug her toes into the carpet. “Believe me, I know,” she concluded as her voice trailed off.
Camille was taken aback by Yoona’s sudden candidness. She had allowed a vulnerable side of herself to surface, and Camille felt the need to comfort her somehow, but she was at a total loss for words. Instead, she leaned forward and rested her forehead against Yoona’s as she caressed the back of the Yoona’s head and neck with her left hand.
Yoona seemed to appreciate the gesture. “I’m sorry I broke your mask, Camille,” she said after a few moments.
“I forgive you,” came Camille’s reply. “And it did look pretty stupid didn’t it?” she added after a beat.
“Almost as stupid as my sunglasses,” chuckled Yoona. “Seriously, I can’t see shit in those things.”
Both women shared a brief laugh, and then a few minutes passed by in silence. Eventually they were approached by a woman in her mid thirties. She was conservatively dressed in a business suit and skirt combo. An official FAWN ID badge was clipped to the breast pocket of her jacket.
“Excuse me, Ms. Park,” she said, “My name is Justine Adams, I am the head of the scouting team tonight. On behalf of FAWN I would like to officially offer you a developmental contract, effective immediately. Congratulations, you wrestled a hell of a match tonight.” Justine held out a dossier of paperwork to Yoona.
Without looking up, Yoona took the glossy folder embossed with the official FAWN logo. She quietly paged through the contents, quickly scanning each document. Contract. Non-compete clause. Non-disclosure agreement. Health insurance. Waiver of liability. Pretty standard stuff, all in all. Yoona shut the folder, then tossed it onto Camille’s lap.
“She’s coming with me,” Yoona stated bluntly as lifted her head to meet the talent scout’s gaze.
“Yoona! I--I--what are you doing?!” stammered Camille.
“Ms. Park!” protested the scout. “My team and I were only interested in you. We have no use for a perpetual loser like --”
“Shut up, both of you,” Yoona commanded. “There were two wrestlers in that wrestling match. I doubt that it’d be anywhere near as impressive if I were wrestling by myself. So if you guys want me, then Ms….umm....”
“Cosworth,” Camille whispered.
“Then Cosworth is coming too. Package deal -- can’t have one without the other. End of story,” concluded Yoona.
Justine scoffed derisively. “It is true that every great champion builds her throne atop a mountain of broken jobbers, and if Ms. Cosworth has any talent, it’s the ability to be spectacular in defeat. Nevertheless, we are only authorized to offer one contract --”
Yoona cut her off by snatching the badge from Justine’s jacket. Associate Director of Talent Development. “What’s the matter, Ms. Associate Director? Can’t you make an executive decision? Or is that too far above your pay grade?” Yoona sneered. She flippantly tossed the ID badge at Justine’s feet. Then she put on her pink shutter sunglasses, leaned back into the sofa, and crossed her arms defiantly.
The associate director glared at Yoona with a look that could kill. She bent down and retrieved her ID badge, then dusted it off and reattached it to her pocket. Finally she spoke, “Very well then. We can find room for both of you. The money, however, is non-negotiable. The two of you will have to split --”
“Pfffttt! Lady, please,” said Yoona. “Do I look like someone who needs money? You see these?” She pointed to her sunglasses. “These cost more money than you make in a month.”
Camille snorted loudly as she tried to unsuccessfully suppress a laugh. “S-Sorry, please continue your -- your very serious conversation,” she said, embarrassed. She continued to snigger to herself.
“Ms. Cosworth here can have the entirety of the salary,” continued Yoona. “Quite frankly, it’s barely a quantum of a fraction of a respectable wage. It’s not even enough to pay the property taxes on my private island.”
“You have a private island?” asked Justine, arching an eyebrow.
“It’s the one with the volcanoes and giant, radioactive lizards,” replied Yoona as she nonchalantly examined her manicure.
“Japan?!” Camille blurted incredulously.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” answered Yoona. She pushed back the cuticle on her ring finger. “I like to rent it out to tourists while I’m not there.”
Justine and Camille exchanged a look. Is she crazy? Justine silently mouthed. Camille could only offer a shrug of her shoulders.
Justine shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. Why did the talented ones always have to be headcases? She closed her eyes and practiced the deep breathing techniques she learned in lamaze class.
“It’s settled then,” the scout finally said, “We will draft an additional contract, and Ms. Cosworth will receive the entirety of the salary. Welcome to FAWN, ladies. What a truly fantastic couple you two are -- ”
She looked at Camille, “-- the beautiful loser, and --”
She looked at Yoona, who was now attempting to chew off a hangnail on her pinkie, “--and t-the...I -- I can’t even --. Ugh. Whatever. Welcome to FAWN,” Justine said curtly and promptly walked out of the building, glad to be rid of Yoona.
Camille was confused. “Yoona, why are you helping me? Especially after you just embarrassed me like that in the ring.”
“I killed your career as Hawkman, so in return I’m giving you a new career as Camille Cosworth. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ve got your back -- it’s the least I could do,” said Yoona. “Somewhere out there, there’s a little girl who needs a hero to look up to and she deserves better than some stupid wannabe luchadora. You deserve better than some stupid wannabe luchadora. Be the superstar you were born to be Camille. You’re the most athletic wrestler I’ve ever seen. That leap into the ring on your entrance, then that hurricanrana, I wouldn’t think those moves were possible if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. So don’t listen to those assholes who say you’re only a beautiful loser or a stepping stone for another wrestler. And if you ever think about giving up, I’ll break your leg in five places. You know I can do it too.”
Camille hugged Yoona tightly. “Thank you, Yoona. For believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. And thank you for those wonderful words of motivation. I promise won’t talk about quitting again, I quite like my legs.”
“Alright, alright. Enough sappy shit. We made it to FAWN, now let’s go celebrate and get wasted,” said Yoona with a huge grin.
EPILOGUE:
------------------------
Yoona laid in bed, curled on one side. It was 3AM, and she had been awake for hours thinking about the events of the last day. The more she thought about it, the more hypocritical she felt about lecturing Camille on the importance of perseverance and not giving up on the things you love. Her current state of inebriation and emotional lability didn’t help those pestering thoughts either. Yoona sighed heavily, she needed something to distract her. She pulled out her phone and began writing an email in Korean.
Hi Mom! Hi Dad! ^___^
I made it to Bangor, Maine! It’s a small town way in the northeast of America. I miss San Diego already! It’s cold here and I can’t find a good fish taco place or a KTV that has my favorite K-pop songs. T____T.
Good news is I won my first match here! Yay! Bad news is I have to stay in Bangor longer. -____-
My next match will be on TV though! My first time wrestling on TV, oh I’m so excited and so nervous at the same time! I wonder who it will be? Will she have boobs like ( . Y . ) or will they be more like mine ( . Y . ). Maybe I should get some implants. Cousin Ji-Hyun is a surgeon right? Haha! Just kidding!
I hope you guys will be able to watch on TV. Don’t let grandma and grandpop watch though! They might have a heart attack! And don’t let little Doo-Ri or Tae-Uk watch either! Adults only.
. Oh, and don’t let any cute guys I might want to date watch. You know why. -_________________-Anyway, I
Yoona suddenly stiffened and stopped typing as she felt an arm wrap around her waist.
“You’re up early,” Camille stated with a yawn.
“Actually I’m up late,” corrected Yoona. “Couldn’t fall asleep.”
“Eight tequila slammers and you couldn’t sleep?” slurred Camille. “What are you doing now, you little alcoholic? Looking for liver donors?”
“Writing an email to my mom and dad,” replied Yoona, “If they don’t hear from me once a day they freak out and start thinking the worst. It’s been over four years and they still worry about me because I’m here in America alone.”
“Every day for four years?! Hah, I’d run out of stuff to say by week two,” laughed Camille as she plucked the phone from Yoona’s hands. She frowned when she realized she couldn’t read any of the email. “Only thing I can understand is smiley face, big boobs, small boobs. I’m big boobs and you’re small boobs, I presume?”
“Actually, I’m big boobs,” retorted Yoona as she snatched her phone back.
Camille scoffed.
“Hey! I’ll have you know I’m a solid D-cup!” Yoona said defensively.
Camille cackled.
“C-cup! My breast smothers are super effective!” Yoona lied.
Camille cackled harder.
“Fine! B-cup and that’s my final offer!” Yoona harrumphed indignantly.
“Alright, alright Tits McGee. B-cup it is. I’m going to sleep a bit more, wake me up when the complimentary breakfast starts.” Camille snuggled closer to Yoona and nuzzled her face into Yoona’s neck. “And tell your mom and dad big boobs said ‘Hi.’”
Yoona laid motionless for several minutes, staring at the patterns on the wallpaper. Once she was sure Camille had returned to her drunken slumber, she picked up her phone and resumed typing her email.
Anyway, I really miss you guys! It’s been so long! I promise as soon as I win the championship I’ll be on a flight back home the next day. It shouldn’t take long now that I’m officially in the federation. I’ll be home in time for Dad’s birthday next year. What a gift that’ll be, right?! ^___^ Love you Mom, Love you Dad <3 Yoona
Yoona’s thumb hovered over the Send button.
She hesitated for a second.
Then ten seconds.
Then thirty seconds.
Yoona suddenly realized her hands were clammy and her heart was beating uncomfortably fast. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, trying to match rate and rhythm against the gentle heaving of Camille’s breasts against her back. That made her feel better, more calm, more relaxed. After a minute, her heart rate had settled, and Yoona opened her eyes and looked at her phone again.
She hit the Cancel button.
Your email has been saved to your Drafts folder.
You have 1587 saved Drafts.
She turned off her phone and set it on the nightstand.
Yoona closed her eyes and focused once more on Camille’s breathing and the warmth of her body. Soon she was fast asleep.